Lincoln, Neb. – Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center announces its fifth annual Breast Cancer Awareness event – Power of Pink – will be held on Tuesday, October 1. The community-wide event begins at six in the evening, and the finale is at dark when the east side of the hospital will be lit in pink.

Breast cancer survivors are invited to sign a StarTran bus wrapped in pink or guests can sign in honor of a loved one. The bus can be seen throughout Lincoln for the next year. Guests will also enjoy a light dinner and musical entertainment.

“We are excited to kickoff Breast Cancer Awareness month with our annual Power of Pink event,” says Mary Trauernicht, director, oncology services at Saint Elizabeth Cancer Institute. “Saint Elizabeth will be lit in pink for the entire month of October. It will serve as an important reminder that we need to continue to fight against the disease.”

It is estimated that in 2013, more than 1,200 women in Nebraska will be diagnosed with the disease. The impact doesn’t end there. It extends to family members, friends, caregivers and coworkers.

“For us, this October is even more meaningful as it marks the one year anniversary of the opening of the Saint Elizabeth Breast Care Center,” adds Trauernicht. “We fight breast cancer every day. But, October serves as a good reminder on the importance of the topic. It opens the door for conversations about the significance of doing breast self-exams, annual mammograms and preventive care.”

At the event, luminaries recognizing survivors or loved ones lost to breast cancer will be placed on the walking path around the lake. You can purchase a luminary with a free will donation. Proceeds will go to the Saint Elizabeth Foundation Cancer Institute fund, which helps women right here in Lincoln and the surrounding areas.

You can purchase a luminary at www.SaintElizabethOnline.com/PowerofPink, or they will be for sale the night of the event. Luminary orders placed online will be decorated by the Saint Elizabeth breast cancer support group.

This October, Saint Elizabeth wants Lincoln to see and feel the Power of Pink. They asked staff and cancer survivors what the Power of Pink means to them. And, they are asking the community to visit www.facebook.com/SaintElizabethRegionalMedicalCenter to weigh in on what the Power of Pink means to you.

About Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical CenterSaint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, founded more than 120 years ago, is a full-service, 264-bed, nonprofit regional medical center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Since 2004, Saint Elizabeth has been recognized as a Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing. Saint Elizabeth is guided by its core values of reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence to devote funding and resources to programs and services that benefit their patients as well as the health of the greater community. Saint Elizabeth is part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI). For more information, visit www.SaintElizabethOnline.com.

About Saint Elizabeth Breast Care Center Saint Elizabeth Breast Care Center offers women a complete range of breast health services, such as advanced imaging diagnostics, medical and radiation oncology and breast and reconstructive surgery. Cancer care revolves around the patient, guiding them from diagnosis through survivorship. Patients benefit from a breast cancer nurse navigator, who is an experienced oncology nurse that provides one-on-one support. Residents in Lincoln and the surrounding communities do not have to travel far from home to get excellent cancer care.For more information, visitwww.SaintElizabethOnline.com/breastcarecenter

About Catholic Health Initiatives Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health system with headquarters in Englewood, Colo. The faith-based system operates in 18 states and includes 86 hospitals; 40 long-term care, assisted- and residential-living facilities; two academic medical centers; two community health-services organizations; two accredited nursing colleges; and home health agencies. In fiscal year 2012, CHI provided more than $715 million in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. For more information, visitwww.CatholicHealthInitiatives.org.